FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL; Pennington Takes Page From Montana's Book

By JUDY BATTISTA

Published: November 25, 2003

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Nov. 24—
The drive against Jacksonville that is burnishing a nascent legend took Chad Pennington back to the 1999 Mid-American Conference championship game, when he rallied Marshall from a 23-point deficit against Western Michigan with four touchdowns in the second half.

Pennington called many of his plays in college, just as he did for parts of the 11-play, 94-yard touchdown drive at the end of the fourth quarter that beat the Jaguars on Sunday. It is a tidy bridge over his young career, and perhaps it explains why Pennington is rarely fazed in these situations.

''It was very eerie because it was very similar,'' Pennington said.

But the cool with which Pennington conducted the drive, reminded Jets Coach Herman Edwards of more memorable football moments: those conducted by Joe Montana, the former San Francisco quarterback. After 16 regular-season starts, Pennington has already led the Jets to 3 comeback victories, including 2 in the last 3 games.

Comparisons to Montana are wildly premature. The two recent comebacks have come against failing opponents. But Pennington's presence is perhaps one of the few reasons to continue watching a 4-7 team.

''He has a little bit of that aura; everyone thinks he's going to do it,'' Edwards said.

When Edwards and Pennington watched the film of the second half together Monday, Edwards was most impressed that Pennington never panicked, never tried to make a big play. Jacksonville (2-9) was in a prevent defense on the Jets' final drive, rushing three players and dropping eight into coverage, abandoning the pressure that was so effective earlier in the game.

Edwards does not marvel at the throws Pennington makes because he sees them all the time, but even he was spellbound when Pennington, on first-and-goal from the 8, looked into the end zone for Anthony Becht and kept looking, freezing the linebacker, even as he flipped the ball to Curtis Martin in the right flat at the last moment. Martin went 5 yards to put the Jets at the 3.

''To me, that was the best throw of all, because that's one of those where he has a good feel where Curtis is,'' Edwards said.

During the 11-play drive, the offensive coordinator Paul Hackett sent about half the plays to Pennington via his headset. For the rest, Pennington was on his own.

And there was one play that could have been drawn up in the dirt. After Martin's reception, the Jets were on the 3-yard line with 33 seconds remaining. Pennington had a choice: spike the ball to stop the clock or throw a pass into the end zone.

While each team tried to get set, Pennington caught the eye of receiver Santana Moss and gave him a signal to run a fade to the left corner of the end zone. But Pennington knew the Jets had the wrong personnel on the field for that play: two tight ends, two backs and a receiver, a package usually used for running plays.

Pennington wanted to take a shot at the end zone, so he called for the Jets' most basic formation -- solo right -- with a tight end on each side of the line, and Moss on the left side. The only problem was that Pennington needed another receiver on the right side. Enter Jerald Sowell, the fullback. Pennington pointed to the right and told Sowell to go out there.

''He's never been in solo right, but it didn't matter,'' Pennington said. ''He just needed to get set and be still.''

Pennington knew he had to get the ball in the air quickly because Moss's space was squeezed. But first, to freeze the defense for a moment, Pennington gripped the ball with both hands, because he was afraid he would drop it if he held it with only one, and faked a spike before lofting a high pass for a touchdown to Moss. Pennington still could not explain what made him fake the spike. It was, like so much else in that drive, instinctive.

''Chad is not the quarterback that he's going to become, by any stretch of the imagination,'' Edwards said. ''He's going to get better. I don't know how much better he's going to get, but he's going to get better.''

EXTRA POINTS

Defensive end JOHN ABRAHAM is doubtful for Monday's game against the Tennessee Titans after aggravating the groin injury that has kept him out of three games. . . . Titans Coach JEFF FISHER said the availability of quarterback STEVE McNAIR will likely be a game-time decision Monday night. McNair strained his right calf Sunday's game against the Falcons.